On Saturday, CNN's Jake Tapper reported that 11 other Republican senators and senators-elect are considering joining the ploy by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) to formally protest the results of the Electoral College and try to overturn the election — despite there being no basis to do so and no evidence of any serious problems in the election.
The current and incoming senators considering this are reportedly Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jim Inhofe and James Lankford (R-OK), Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).
These senators, if they were to go through with the protest, would join an expected 140 Republican members of the House. The measure is doomed to fail because they will not have the votes to successfully dispute any slate of electors.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has leaned heavily on Republicans not to join the effort, fearful it would be embarrassing and divisive for his caucus. However, outgoing President Donald Trump has encouraged the effort, pulling Republicans in two different directions on a move that would directly defy the democratic choice of the American people.
